Our story

Creating DottyStripes was not part of my life plan (and I had lots of versions of it). I had, though, this feeling inside me that I needed to find a way not to allow my parents' skills and expertise in bespoke soft furnishing, gained over the last 15 years, to just disappear one day without letting the world know how valuable, flawless and wonderful their work is.

It took me some years to work it out and one day it just dawned on me. There was a way of us all working together without creating a big BANG in our distinctively different worlds!

The eco-direction we chose was an obvious choice for me. As a serious organic and healthy-lifestyle devotee, and a consumer, increasingly I just don’t feel comfortable with the whole idea of mass-produced, low-cost economy and culture, where quality has fallen well down on the list of priorities.

I may be one of those few really idealistic people, but I vividly remember stories that my grandparents would share about how things used to be in the early 20th century, with fewer things around, but made to a higher quality, they were treasured and kept for many years. I want to honour these times.

These are the values that have driven me to create DottyStripes-choosing quality over quantity and teaching our children to respect items that have been made with care. Selective and conscious consumerism, you could call it.

So this is how DottyStripes was born, followed a month later by my daughter Amber!

I chose the name DottyStripes as I wanted to make an immediate connection with fabric print and timelessness. Dots and stripes have always been, are and will be-just different versions of them. Just like our designs that are made to stand the test of time, to be beyond trend and non-age defining.

Why linen?

Just like our current culture, which has replaced that sense of respect and sensibility in shopping, linen has been replaced by cheaper fibres (cotton) which became totally mass-produced. Again, all in the name of cost and production efficiency.

Linen has an Eastern European heritage which is close to me (being a Pole at heart), but it also has an amazing simplicity and purity. It is so multi-purpose yet uncomplicated and, above all, very healthy for your skin and gentle on the planet.

Now, I don’t believe that ‘natural’ has to mean ‘hippy’, so a contemporary design is present throughout our work. It offers a minimalistic feel which complements the simple nature of the fabric.

So, that’s us! What do you think? Get in touch; I’d love to hear from you!